EVENT - The Vizenko Prosecution

[bluntblade]

Assuming I didn't miss an existing thread. I'm considering a multi-perspective story into which Odyssalas' duel with Perkenas can go, and I figured it'd be handy to have all the details readily accessible. Off the top of my head:

- it takes place about a decade after the Qarith Triumph, when Vizenko reveals some of his work to a Crimson Lions apothecary - Dryos of Clan Senonos
- Niklaas builds the complex for the Prosecution on Baal
- Daer'dd serves as prosecutor and Kozja as defence
- speaking for the defence are Alexos (seen as overzealous but for good reasons), the Jade General, Hennasohn and Borreo for The Drowned, Kozja and Raktra
- for the prosecution are Daer'dd, Hectarion, Azus, Willym, Alexandros(?) and Pionus
- Pionus speaks after Kozja, attacking his plans for a ruling class of Astartes, which results in a formal duel between Perkenas and Odyssalas
- blows are nearly exchanged by the representatives of two Knight Houses, as well as a Serpent and Prost Wilhelm, the "still-Shepherd", to the exasperation of the "true" Shepherds in attendance

Edited November 28, 2017 by Lord Thørn

[bluntblade]

Couple of thoughts - is it necessary for Baal to be the site? This is a trial, so rather than a blighted world, perhaps the Emperor should use a civilised world.

 

Also, I note Azus, Pionus, Raktra, the Jade General, Morro, Daer'dd, Hectarion and Kozja in attendance - are there others?

[simison]

Alexandros is explicitly not in attendance. 

[Talonair]

As a refresher, is this our version of Nikea? With gene-crafting rather than psykers?

[bluntblade]

Probably getting some Crusading done, as all the political types will be at the Prosecution.

 

Talonair - yep. I'm going to post the current text in a day or two with the additions I've suggested/put together.

Edited April 26, 2017 by bluntblade

[Talonair]

Hmmm. Who would be expected to attend?

[bluntblade]

Well, the ones above all have a stake in or concerns about genhancement.

[Talonair]

The Mechanicum would be present, then, since gene-craft would also fall under the perview of the Magos Biologis (and is forbidden by the Creeds of the Mechanicum iirc). Mortera would be in attendence or send a representative purely to see the 'lay of the land'

[Skalpynock]

I think we set that Jackel's place and reaction is replaced by Andezo.

[Nomus Sardauk]

Nomus would likely be there as one of Kozja's more moderate supporters, considering Kozja's whole Astartes Ruling Class idea to be deeply flawed and even potentially dangerous but the use of genetic enhancement to elevate and improve the lot of humanity in general. Things like fixing genetic disorders and mutations, controlling the emergence of beings like psykers & pariahs, improving a human's natural abilities, etc, all gradually evolving mankind towards it's next iteration (he hopes this will help bridge the gap of understanding between himself and the rest of mankind).

[bluntblade]

Are people OK with Pionus' late intervention being the crux argument?

 

And viz the planet? I'm not convinced that it ought to be Baal

[bluntblade]

Been going over the text and the argument is... perhaps a little broader than is helpful. I think we need it to focus on manipulation of Astartes genes, with Kozja's project on trial, rather than the whole science. Otherwise we risk the narrative being a muddle. While it may be our counterpart to Nikaea, it's not "Nikaea but about gene-science" and we need to structure it as a trial, with the speakers present as witnesses rather than advocates.

 

One idea - Raktra nearly starts a brawl by declaring that Hectarion has no right to conceal a weakness on his Legion's part, and accusing him of sabotaging the Emperor's work through his "cowardice."

 

Another - Kozja's scheme to create a single unified Legion would likely meet with as much anger among the Drowned and Berserkers as the Lions and Bears. Perhaps it's only revealed when Kozja gets carried away responding to Pionus' testimony.

Edited April 28, 2017 by bluntblade

[Talonair]

How far into the Great Crusade does the Prosecution occur?

[Skalpynock]

Between Alex's appointment as Warmaster and the Emperor's withdrawal.

[Talonair]

In that case, Mortera will make a point of siding with Kelbor-Hal's opinion

[simison]

Okay, makes sense to shrink the topic, but what's wrong with Baal?

[bluntblade]

well, it means an awful lot of work to host a very sudden crisis - I was actually going to suggest that it comes a year or two after the Emperor enters seclusion. Nikaea is the site of an event decades in the planning - it was pretty well advanced before Mortarion had actually taken possession of his Legion. Vizenko's transgresssions set the Lions at the Warbringers' throats - something needs to be done, and fast. So I suggest we use a civilised world that's convenient for most of the Primarchs to reach as well as for the Emperor and his functionaries, and have them take over a palace with especially large debating chambers. We could use Obsailes - neutral ground in the debate, and with a whacking great fortress.

[simison]

What evidence is there that Nikaea was planned that long in an advance?

[bluntblade]

Malcador tells Mortarion about it seventy years before the Heresy. A holo of the ampitheatre is shown, and Malcador talks about how hard it's been to get things to the current stage of planning. All in Daemonology.

[Kelborn]

That's... Unexpected...

 

That put everything from A Thoisand Sons and Inferno in a new light.

 

Or shall we only use FW canon as a comparison to our stuff?

[Sigismund229]

Is it possible that Malcador meant that things had taken too long to plan and set into motion to allow the chance of Magnus ruining it through carelessness? And Mortarion simply interpreted that in the way he wanted it to mean?

[bluntblade]

Nope. He shows him a holo of Nikaea, a world with a part to play - with the implication that Mortarion will have his chance to speak on the issue of pyskers then. Not necessarily that the verdict was foregone by any means - Magnus' zealotry at Nikaea seems to have been largely responsible for that. There's no reference to any one brother's actions, and it's mentioned in response to Mortarion's refusal to serve while there are psykers among the Legions.

 

The references to planning and the rest of it are definitely about getting the venue built and the rest of the arrangements.

 

I'd say both BL and FW have their place. Besides, we want to differentiate our timeline, and adding a greater urgency and focus to the Prosecution goes towards that.

[bluntblade]

Some additions I've jotted down so far. This comes after Vizenkomis found out:

 

This revelation would spark heated debate across the Imperium. Was the human race denying itself a necessary step in its own evolution toward dominance? Or was this the path of damnation covered in shallow promises? More immediately, the confrontation brought the Warbringers and Crimson Lions into open dispute, and only the swift arrival of Gwalchavad prevented it from turning violent. To restore the peace, Alexandros turned to the Emperor Himself. Emerging from His solitude, the Master of Mankind declared that He would judge Vizenko personally and summoned the errant Warbringer to account for his actions.

 

With tempers running so high, no time could be spent on a purpose-built edifice. Instead, the Emperor alighted on Obsailes, home world of the Fire Keepers. Situated conveniently between Terra and the Galaxy’s far edge, it also boasted one of the few structures capable of hosting such an event. Niklaas, undisputed siege master among his brothers, had gifted his world a fortress mightier than any outside Terra, the vaunted Ebensagab. His castellan was directed to turn the largest of its cavernous parade grounds into an ampitheatre, sufficient to host the Master of Mankind, His court, administrators and generals. It was here the matter of gene manipulation would be put to rest. When the decree arrived on the command deck of the Restored Glory, Kozja Darzalas declared that he would represent his son as his legal counsel. While Kozja was pledging to defend, one of his brothers was preparing to assume the role of prosecutor.

 

Alexandros deemed such a role to be too dangerous, politically speaking. He explained that he wished to stress the limits of his office as Warmaster, and to stand in judgement of a Legion in non military matters was to risk harming the Crusade itself. Thus he limited his role to urging goodwill between his brothers, and concentrated his energies on a campaign alongside Koschei Kharkovic and ___.

 

Initial bit of Trial:

 

The actors assembled and the stage set, the Prosecution began with Daer’dd’s opening statements. Taking a hard line on Vizenko’s deeds, the Bear argued that the Warbringers’ apothecaries had stepped far out of line. They had quite brazenly sought the genetic lore of other Legions, coveting secrets which the Emperor had not seen fit to gift them. He ominously hinted at dire consequences that might stem from those less gifted than He meddling with His creations.

 

Kozja took issue with Daer’dd’s tone. Instead of unleashing a potential disaster, Kozja foresaw a humanity freed from the shackles of biological limitations. Disease, infirmity, and even age would bow before genetic mastery, and Mankind would be gifted with the most brilliant of leaders. Kozja pointed to Pionus Santor’s projects on Iona as proof of what could achieved with mortals. Such leaps would appear insignificant, should the far more important task of enhancing the Legions be properly attempted.

 

The Primarchs finished, the first of the witnesses was called. Adept Dominus Zharolz Dah’arwin of the Magos Biologis would be the first to testify, warning that unless humanity was willing to evolve in this hostile galaxy, they were doomed to eventual extinction. Daer’dd’s cross-examination of the tech-priest posited a counter-argument, however; the Astartes were not the product of evolution. Indeed, their own particular creation rendered them quite without parallel, incomparable to any augmented follower of the Omnissiah. Daer’dd charged Kozja with obfuscation, seeking to muddy the issue rather than defend his apothecary properly. The validity of their research was for the Emperor to decide.

 

On and on it went as witness after witness claimed a chance to voice their opinion. Campaign logs were scrutinised, officers from the Legions and Army called to share their knowledge or suspicions of what had been done. Ragnarval took the stand early on, accusing Vizenko of confronting him with purloined lore of the III Legion’s genetics. Under questioning from Kozja he angrily brushed aside any suggestion that the Atrifos acted solely out of charity. Vizenko, the Lion declared, only used concern to hide a dangerous obsession whose roots lay in hubris.

Edited June 28, 2017 by bluntblade

[simison]

My issue with this is that Baal offers a more applicable environment to the issue. Messing with genetics could lead to improvement or it could lead to harmful mutation as seen in the rad-wastes. Baal stands as a warning sign, more so than any civilized world could offer.

[Chief Captain Redd]

^ Plus we've seen the Iron Warriors build a venue in a day; the Fire Keepers, and Iron Bears are both present, Baal isn't that far out of the Three Fires so add in Demiurg and Mechanicum with the weight of The Emperor's orders and Venues and facilities befitting the trial could be built in a few weeks.